The present invention relates to a digital photo album.
Digital cameras have become extraordinarily popular in the last several years among consumers worldwide. Statistics show more than 150 million people worldwide own digital cameras. One of the key features of digital cameras is the ability to view pictures directly on the camera or another device such as a computer without having to develop film, thus saving time and money. Furthermore, a mass storage device is typically used on the camera to store photos, and it is possible to capture photos and then erase them, allowing virtually unlimited photo taking without the need to physically develop a film.
Several options exist today to view digital photos. Pictures may be viewed directly on the digital camera screen. It is possible to view digital pictures that are burned onto a mobile storage device, such as a CD or VCD, on a computer screen. Digital photos can furthermore be uploaded from a digital camera to the Internet using appropriate software. They can of course be printed using a traditional photograph laboratory as more traditional film-based photographs are.
However, in all the above examples, what is clearly lacking is the comfort of viewing the digital pictures in the old fashioned way through an album. Particularly those individuals who lack sufficient computer skills to view digital pictures on a computer, would rather be able to view pictures in an album format. Further, the social aspects involved in sharing pictures with family and friends is more appreciated when the pictures are viewable in the “classic” format, that is to say in a personal or family photo album.
The digital camera market can be divided into three main population groups. The first one is the group of technology oriented users. This group represents those that are familiar with digital technology, and utilize with ease computer technology and the Internet for storage and viewing of digital photos. Nonetheless, this group may still wish to use printed digital photos for storage in a classic photo album for presentation. The second group represents those that own digital cameras but lack familiarity with computers and therefore will always print digital pictures and view them in a classic photo album. Finally, the third group of people are those that have chosen not to purchase a digital camera as a result of little or no computer knowledge or skills.
Therefore, there is an unmet need for, and it would be highly useful to have, a digital photo album to which digital pictures are easily transferred for comfortable viewing.